Safety flare burner and snuffer



, Dec. 3, 193.5. W H NEUMEISTER 2,022,897

SAFETY FLARE BURNER AND SNUFFER original Filed July 22, 1955 6 /l/INI/NTOR BY fw TT ORNEY.

Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNTED STATES iPA-'EENT OFFICE Application July 22,1933, VSerial No. 681,751

Renewed April 27, 1935 6 Claims.

My invention relates to a safety flare commonly used for illuminatingroad obstructions, such as parked trucks and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a nare ci this type whichincludes means for conveniently snuffing out the iame when desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a weather prooi flare.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for retaining thesnuiiing mechanism in proper position at any point.

A further object of my invention is to provide for such constructionwhich will allow convenient changing or lling of oil.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for adjusting thesize of the flame in the flare.

A further object of my invention is to provide a more eincientcombustion means associated with the flare, and a further object of myinvention is to provide all of the above mentioned constructions in adevice of this character which can be manufactured at a minimum cost.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement combination of the various parts of my device,whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fullyset forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional View taken medially of the burner or" the flare.

Figure 2 is a slightly modied form of flare.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of the snuffer retaining means.

Figure 4 is a further modified form.

Figure 5 is also a modified form similar to Figure 4 with the exceptionof the snuifer being removed.

Figure 6 is a sectional View of Figure 4 taken along the lines Eie-l,and

Figure 7 is ,an enlarged detail of the arrangement shown in Figure 3.

I have represented the usual approximately spherical body of the flareby means of the character Ill. The body Ill includes the downwardlyprojecting and threaded ilange I I which receives the member I2. Themember I2 includes the openings I3 for providing air for the burner andalso includes the portion I4 adapted to engage the threads in the flangeI I.

Formed integrally with these members is the wick receiving portion I5and the flared extension I6. It will be seen that the entire arrangementof the wick holder, burner, etc. are all incorporati8 includes theconcave top I 9 which projects be- 5 yond the main body of the snufferat 23 to provide protection against driving wind and rain. The snuier I8also includes the rectangular openings 2S. The bottom portion of thesnuffer includes the flared anges 22 which are adapted to 10 protect theopening i3 in the body I2.

The body l2 also includes the vertical slot 23 and ,a machine screw 265,which is threadedly engaged at 25 with the shell i8, and passes throughthe slot 23. With this construction, it would be 15 impossible to removethe snuffer by accident, and the lengthened slot permits movement of thesnufer upwardly or downwardly.

When the snuiier is forced downwardly, the openings 2| in most caseswill overlap the top ci 20 the shell I2 and will thereby permit ofadjustment in the size of these openings, so that the flare llame can beregulated.

In snufling the llame, the member I8 is forced downwardly to its maximumlimit and the open- 25 ings 2t are then entirely closed and the flameextinguished.

Adjacent the slot 23, I provide the slightly outwardly bent flanges 25a.These flanges provide means for retaining the snuffer cap I 3 in .any 30desired position by virtue of the tension exerted thereagainst.

Air is drawn through the openings I3 into the burner or shell I2providing the necessary oxygen for combustion and the flames are thrown35 through the openings 2|. Any suitable oil can be used in the flaresuch as kerosene, signal olii or the like.

Figure 2 illustrates a modification having many characteristics incommon with Figure 1 with a 40 few exceptions which will now be noted.In this form, the shell I2 is threadedly engaged at 26 with the member21 which is soldered or suitably welded at 23 to the body of the llareI. The member 21 includes the downwardly pro- 45 jecting integral iiange29, the horizontal ange 30 formed therewith, and the conical element 3|.

The wick-holder 32 includes the downwardly projecting ring flange 33which is threadedly engaged with the flange 29. The threaded engagementat this point is made rather loose.

The flange 33 includes the small opening 34. The cone shaped element 3|is made approximately two-thirds the size of the opening 35 of theWick-holder 32. By means of this arrangement, an additional small amountof air is drawn downwardly from the openings I3 through the looselyengaged threads, thence through the opening 34 into the chamber 36,which chamber is formed between the flange 33 and the element 3l. rIhischamber acts as a mixing chamber for the air and gases from the oilpassing around the cone shaped element 3l and through the opening 35.This mixing causes a more efficient reduction of the gas and air to theproper combustion point Vand provides a more eilicient, cleaner, andbrighter ame in the wick Il.

The snuier cap i3 in forming usually includes small round fillets at thepoints 31 and the shell l2 would usually become jammed against thesefillets thereby locking the burner shell l2 against the-snuier cap whenthe latter is forced downwardly to its maximum limit. To oiset thisdifficulty, I provide the round edges 38 at the top of the shell l2. Y

The construction just described embodies features of convenient removalof the top structure of the nare since the shell I 2 can be removed orthe wick holder 32 can be conveniently removed for replacing the wick.The oil is poured through the cone 3|.

It will be understood, of course, that the wick passes through both thecone shaped member 3! and the wick holder. Y

The iiared members 22 prevent a driving wind or rain from penetratingthrough the openings I3.

Figure 4 illustrates a further modication in which the member 39 isscrewed to the flange Il and includes the neck 4d. 'Formed integrallywith the burner I2 are the arms il (see Figure 6) which terminate in theclamping members 42 which are clamped about the neck 40 by means of thescrews s3 passing through the ears 44. Figure 5 illustrates a similarform with the exception that the snuifer cap is not used therein and theburner i 2 is combined integrally with the tcp portion I9.

It will be seen in both of these constructions that the air supply forcombustion passes through the large openings #.5 formed between the armsi and the walls of the shell. This provides a large area for drawing airthrough the burner.

Since seepage is usually present from the wick and since a certainamount of unburned oil will flow to the lower parts of the burner, Iprovide the small openings 4B (see Figures 1 and 2) to alloiw thisexcess oil to drop back into the torch body.

t will now be seen that I have provided a flare which combines featuresof simplicity, convenience in removal, interchangeability, and providesmeans for adjusting the size of the flame of the iiare. It will also beseen that I have provided features which allow for snuiing of the flamewhen desired and for more eicient combustion of the gases in the burneritself.

It will also be seen that I have provided all of the above mentionedfeatures in a construction which is easy of manufacture and reasonablein cost.

Some changes may be made in the construc- 5 tion and arrangement of theparts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purposeof my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modiedforms of structure or use mechanical equivalents, which may bereasonably included within their-scope. l

I claim as my invention:

l. A flare torch having an upper opening, an open end burner attached tothe opening having air openings, a snuiier cap slidably engaged with theburner having lateral flame openings.

2. A nare torch having an upper opening, an open end burner attached tothe opening including an upwardly projecting conical member having anopen end, a wick-holder inside the burner adapted to overlie the conicalmember and form a chamber therebetween.

3. A are torch having an upper opening, an open end burner attached tothe opening including an upwardly projecting conical member having anopen end, a wick-holder inside the burner adapted to overlie the conicalmember and form a chamber therebetween, snuier means slidably engagedwith the burner.

4. A flare torch having an upper opening, an open end burner attached tothe opening, snuiier means slidably engaged with the burner, including asnuier cap having a plurality of flame emitting openings adapted to beregulated in size by means of the varying closure formed between thesaid openings and the upper rim of the burner when the cap is adjustedvertically.

5. A flare torch having an upper opening, an open end burner attached tothe opening, snuier means slidably engaged with the burner, including asnufer cap having a plurality of name emitting openings adapted to beregulated in size by means of the varying closure formed between thesaid openings and the upper rim oi the burner when the cap is adjustedvertically, means for causing limited movement of the cap including aslot in the burner, stop means attached to the cap and passingtherethrough.

6. A flare torch having an upper opening, an open end burner attached tothe opening, snuier means slidably engaged with the burner, including asnuffer cap having a plurality of flame emit- Vting openings adapted tobe regulated in size by means of the varying closure formed between thesaid openings and the upper rim of the burner when the cap is adjustedvertically, means for preventing jamming between the snuffer cap and theburner comprising integral rounded extensions being formed at the top ofthe burner.

WALTER H. NEUMEISTER.

